"And above all watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." ~ Roald Dahl

Murshidabad

If ever in the past I had pondered (which I did not) what I would be doing on Valentine’s Day 2016, it would not have been this:

– Participate in morning yoga on the Ganges River.

– Ride on a rickshaw through Murshidabad, India, watching buildings from the British colonial era along the way, and passing numerous Saras Wati altars, complete with Indian music blasting at each site.

– Visit the Katra Mosque, the oldest mosque still utilized for prayer in India. Then have an impromptu photo shoot with a group of beautifully clad Indian teenagers visiting the mosque. (After we photographed them, they asked if they could have a picture taken with them.)

– Enjoy seeing scores of Indian children run along the riverbank, excited at the sight of our boat.

– Walk through the small Indian village of Baranagar and being spontaneously invited into the home of a proud farmer, happy to introduce us to his family.

– Marvel at the beautiful detail of several Shiva temples, considered to be among the best examples of Bengal terra cotta art.

– Swing a bat in a cricket match, on a field shared with goats and cows. Thanks to much practice at bat with my dad while growing up, I actually hit the ball (not impressively, but a hit nonetheless.)

– Dance with young Indian children during their Saras Wati festival at dusk.

– Start to cry when our waiter, Rahul, brought glasses of rosé to our table at the end of the Valentine’s dinner. 😕 Good grief. It’s still there, just below the surface. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by love.